SPOILERS: Through the current manga and anime.

NOTES: Set a few years after the war.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

YATSUMI AND THE CEMETERY

As grateful as Yatsumi was for Lord Inuzuka's concern, if he hadn't asked her if she'd seen Lord Aburame, she wouldn't have seen Lord Aburame. Her father's death had taught her about mourning, and the loss of her relationship with Lord Aburame was following a similar path. But no matter her sorrow, moping was not in her nature. Yet after she had seen Lord Aburame again—so tall and strong and quietly handsome in the dappled shade of the oak trees that caused his outer coat to blend into its environment and reminded her of the first time he had hidden in plain sight for her—nothing she did could lighten her spirit. She tried reading a novel, writing letters to Lady Reiko and her mother, reorganizing the kitchen cupboards, experimenting with another recipe from the children's nutrition cookbook on Kurenai's under-utilized cookbook shelf, even working on one of Mirai's puzzle books provided by Lord Nara, but all Yatsumi could think about was Lord Aburame and the distance that separated them regardless of their proximity. So she moped and wished there was someone to tell her troubles to.

At last it occurred to her she should write to Suzu. Unlike her mother or Lady Reiko, who would worry if she told them of her misery, Yatsumi could tell Suzu what she was unwilling to share with others. It might not be as nice as talking face-to-face, but it helped her clarify her feelings. Although her goal in coming to Konoha had ended in failure, the journey had been extraordinary. She had met the most remarkable people and seen the most remarkable things—there really were giant faces carved in the side of a mountain, and Lord Inuzuka really did ride his dog like a horse! A broken heart was not fatal; she would survive. Ultimately she knew all she could do was continue making the best of her decision, even if that meant a bit of moping on the way.

Despite all his efforts, Shino was still no closer to learning about Yatsumi's feelings for him. Then the fates offered him a golden opportunity. On his way up the path to the public cemetery, his hive alerted him to something, and he instinctively shifted into the shade of the trees on one side. Uncertain what had set his kikai off, Shino scanned the area and realized Yatsumi was not far away, rinsing the grave of Neji Hyuga.

Disinclined to wait for her to leave but equally unwilling to interact directly with her, he did the only thing that came immediately to mind—he transformed into his father. After a moment's consideration, he realized it was the perfect option for sounding out her feelings.

"I did not know Neji had ever been assigned to Honey."

Yatsumi gasped in surprise, nearly knocking the water bucket over as she stood to face him. "Lord Aburame!" She offered him a deep, formal bow. "How nice to see you again. I hope you are well."

Experiencing Yatsumi's gregariousness from another person's perspective was interesting and somewhat refreshing. It reminded him of his first impression of her. As much progress as he'd made in his social behavior, thanks to her, the possibility of creating such a warm aura of welcome was still as magical and unattainable to him as catching dragons. "I am well, thank you." He gestured to the grave. "I am also surprised you knew Neji."

"I didn't." Turning from him, she poured a ladle of water over the grave before bowing to it and picking up the bucket. A tendril of smoke rose from the already-lit stick in the incense pot. "When I worked for Lady Hyuga, I would occasionally accompany her to visit and clean all the public Hyuga graves." Shifting her weight in discomfort, the sparkle in her eyes dimmed. "Although I do not mean to suggest Lady Hyuga does not deeply mourn all of her lost clansmen, or that she is in anyway less than a remarkably strong woman, I could tell his death was especially painful for her."

That didn't explain why she was washing it. Shino nodded. "Their history was difficult, but they were like siblings."

Slipping the bucket to her elbow, she raised her hands in prayer to the grave. "May you rest in peace."

"I am certain he does." In response to her curious look, he elaborated. "He died with a smile, having saved Hinata's life."

Her eyes abruptly teared over. "Oh, how difficult that must be for her."

How had he not considered the parallel to Yatsumi's father? "I did not mean to upset you." He offered her a handkerchief.

With a grateful smile, she took it and shook her head. "There's no way you could have known that my father had the same fate...that he died protecting me. Now I am doubly glad I clean this grave."

"You wanted to honor someone special to Hinata."

She nodded. "Yes, because I am grateful to her for all her help and because I cannot honor my father's grave."

It was an aspect of her coming to Konoha he hadn't considered; she had sacrificed so much just to apologize to him. No matter his own confused feelings for her, there was no denying her most admirable traits. "It is regrettable your situation has taken you so far from home."

She blinked at him in momentary confusion. "Oh no, Lord Aburame. It is not my leaving Honey that keeps me from fulfilling my filial duties. It's my own family. His ashes were interned in the Mushiroda estate graveyard, and since the funeral, I have never been able to go back."

No wonder her barrette had been so precious to her. "That is most unfortunate." He was briefly stymied over what to say next. Then he noted she had a second incense stick. "You will be visiting Asuma's grave as well."

Smiling, she nodded. "From all I have heard, I truly wish I had been able to meet him. More than that, I wish Mirai could have met him. I can only imagine he would have been as enthralled by her as the rest of us."

It was an endearing thought, the giant of a man subjected to the whims of a precocious little girl. "Yes, I imagine he would have been."

They walked in comfortable silence until they reached Asuma's grave, and it reminded him of how agreeable he had always found her company. Once they were done paying their respects, on impulse he asked, "Would you mind accompanying me?"

After a bow to him, her expression grew uncertain. "I would be honored, but I thought the hidden techniques of the Aburames required them to have special burials, like Main branch Hyugas. Also..." She gave him a sheepish smile. "I only bought two sticks of incense."

Having grown up with clan supply rooms providing for his every material need, it had never occurred to him incense could be purchased one stick at a time. "You are correct, but every shinobi lost during the war is publicly memorialized, no matter where they are buried. Also..." He dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a trio of incense sticks. "I have extra."

She took the offered sticks without hesitation. "You are most generous. Please, lead the way."

As they made their way there, he couldn't help noting how the autumnal colors around them complimented Yatsumi's hair and complexion, no matter how unflattering her oversized, likely second-hand coat might be.

At the base of the cliff that proudly sported the faces of the Hokage, a new memorial had been built since the end of the war. The polished wall listed all those who had died, regardless of which village they belonged to, as a reminder of how the nations had unified against a common threat. Beneath it, there was a long, narrow trough for incense.

When they arrived, Yatsumi scanned the names until she reached the Aburames. "Kiroku, Torune, Muta." Bringing her palms together, she murmured her thanks then lit and placed the incense. He did the same. "I'm so sorry for your loss." The common words of condolence were spoken with gentle earnestness.

He nodded. "We were more fortunate than many clans, to only lose three, but that two of them were manipulated like puppets against our allies was especially difficult for us to learn."

"No wonder your son was so upset by Lady Reiko's scheme." Had she really told his father so much?

Despite his surprise, he couldn't help admiring her again. Even with his exceptional self-awareness and excessive examination of the situation, he had never made the connection. "Perhaps...though I believe it has as much to do with his previous relationship as anything else." That had been one of the conclusions he had reluctantly drawn after Kiba had snapped at him when he'd criticized the Inuzuka for taking out his frustrations on the wrong people. Kiba had told him to look in the mirror before accusing others of that trait. After considering the objection, Shino had realized Kiba was referring to his behavior toward Yatsumi...not that he would admit the fault nor that his old teammate had provided him enlightenment.

With a shake of her head, she frowned. "I can't imagine what she was thinking."

He shrugged. "I kept out of it, but I find it difficult to do so this time." That got her full attention, so he decided to be more targeted in his conversation, in hopes of getting her closer to revealing how she felt. "He has not been the same since his return from Honey."

Brows knit, she bowed. "I am so sorry to have been a part of any trouble for your son."

Of course she would turn it into guilt! But what could he say that would get him the desired results? "I did not bring it up to cause you to feel badly about it but to draw a comparison." Once she straightened with curiosity in her eyes, he continued. "It would seem to me his relationship with you has affected him more deeply than his previous one." It was the truth, and he hoped speaking it would give her the confidence to speak her own.

"Took you long enough." Maemi returned his initial hand holding with a mocking snort. "Caution may be sensible in battle, but you'll never get anywhere if you don't take chances with romance." Then she pulled him into a kiss that had made him think she loved him.

"What if Shino loves you?" The words sounded surreal, spoken so calmly in his father's voice, but the prospect caused his hive to shift contentedly, despite his heart racing.

Although Yatsumi did her best to hide it, her expression briefly lit as though he had offered her the moon, only to fade into her reflexive pleasant smile as she shook her head. "Your son has made his disinterest quite clear, so please forgive me for choosing to not contemplate hypothetical situations that have no possibility of occurring." Her free hand rested briefly against her chest, a gesture that could be interpreted a number of ways. "Besides, I have every confidence he will meet someone appropriate for his station."

Again he was irked by her placing his inclinations in such a shallow and superficial framework. "It is usually quite difficult for Aburames to find spouses, 'appropriate' or otherwise."

She gave him a skeptical look. "I mean no disrespect, but how can that be? Your clan is wealthy and powerful. From what I've seen, Aburames are tall and handsome, and if every man has a voice half as nice as his and yours..." Covering her mouth with her free hand, as though to catch the words and put them back in, she bowed to him. "My apologies. It's not my place to make such observations."

In an attempt to emulate his father, he chuckled. "What man would be upset over a compliment from a charming girl?" He offered her his hand, and she took it, straightening. Her fingers were more calloused than he remembered. "As you may know, Aburames are disinclined to approach issues directly, but I must ask... Do you love him?"

As much as the question caused his stomach to turn in anxiety, the agony on Yatsumi's face made any suffering of his seem paltry in comparison. With her eyes closed as though praying for relief, she spoke with halting effort. "If I say the words aloud...I must acknowledge them again in my heart...and I could not bear it, knowing he does not feel the same." It had taken her a year to manage her feelings over the loss of her father. It would seem two months were not enough for her to recover from the loss of their relationship.

He had been so wrapped up in his own unhappiness and wounded pride that he wouldn't allow himself to consider that he was hurting her as much or worse. How could he have doubted her feelings were sincere? Ino was right; he'd been a coward, was still being a coward by asking her to bare her heart while he hid safely behind the guise of his father.

Sandwiching her hand between his, he did his best to emulate his father's calm authority in spite of his own emotional upheaval. "I did not mean to cause you distress with my prying. Please... What will others think if they see I have made a girl cry?" He had to resist the audacious impulse to stop the trembling of her lower lip by pressing his own against it.

Always intent on the needs of others before herself, that caused her eyes to pop open with concern and glance around. Fortunately, the section of path they were on was deserted. Setting down the bucket, she fished out the handkerchief and dabbed her eyes dry. "I'm sorry."

With a gentle squeeze, he reluctantly released her hand and picked up the bucket. "Do not apologize for being honest. Besides, I was the one who brought it up."

She followed him to the place where buckets and ladles were stored. While he dropped them off, she splashed her face with water from the nearby pump. After using the handkerchief to pat her face dry, she looked down at the overused square in dismay. "I'm afraid I've all but ruined it."

When she offered it to him, he held up a hand. "Keep it. Perhaps, if Shino sees you have a handkerchief with the clan crest, he will wonder why you have been given one." In response to her confused expression, he smiled. "Although we shinobi may keep our cards close to our chests, know that there are many who hope you can resolve your differences with my son and find happiness together." He gave her a nodding bow, and she naturally bowed in return. "I wish you a very good day."

Then he sprang into the nearest tree, leaving her standing there, clutching his handkerchief with a dumbfounded look and the tiniest hint of a smile.